Example embodiments relate more particularly to the installation of the hoisting ropes of elevators with high travel heights, i.e. of high-rise or mega high-rise elevators. Example embodiments may be well suited to elevators with a suspension ratio of 1:1, but it can be used just as well also in other types of elevators.
Elevators of high travel heights contain long and heavy hoisting ropes. This can cause problems when hoisting ropes are installed. One method for installing hoisting ropes is to lift rope reels into the top part of the elevator hoistway with some hoisting device suited to the purpose, after which rope is started to be discharged from the reels and lowered downwards. A problem in this solution is first lifting heavy rope reels to the top part of a high elevator hoistway. Another problem is that lowering long and heavy ropes down is difficult to control and this requires hoisting machine with a high rated load. The farther down the ropes are to be lowered, the more their weight will acts on the hoisting machine lowering the rope. If lowering downwards does not succeed, the ropes can start to fall downwards at high speed, which can cause dangerous situations and/or break structures.
Another method is to lift the ropes from reels in the bottom part of the hoistway to the top part of the hoistway by pulling the ropes upwards from the ends of the ropes e.g. by means of some type of hoist. In this solution a problem can be formed by the properties required for the hoist used to lift the ropes, because the hoisting height or hoisting power of small hoists is not necessarily sufficient for lifting long and heavy ropes up. The hoist must be able to lift also the weight of its own hoisting chain or hoisting rope in addition to the weight of the hoisting ropes. Thus it may be necessary to use a special hoist with a large rated load and hoisting height for lifting the ropes, which incurs extra costs.
In the aforementioned prior-art solutions a problem can still be that installation of the ropes takes a lot of time and a number of employees are needed for it, which incurs extra costs. In addition, one problem in these solutions is that the hoisting ropes can generally be installed only in the final stage of the construction project, and starting and implementing installation of the ropes only after the structures of the hoistway are completed significantly delays completion of the elevator. Additionally, if problems arise in the installation of the ropes, they are only noticed in a late stage and the whole project can be delayed owing to this. Furthermore, with this type of installation the installation time is generally designed to be short, which causes hurry and stress in the final stage of the installation, in which case also additional careless errors and dangerous situations can occur due to the hurry and stress.